HP LaserJet 1022nw Printer - Manual (Page 10)

Infrastructure mode (preferred)
In infrastructure mode, the printer communicates with network computers through a wireless
access point (WAP) or a base station. The access point acts as a central hub or gateway
connecting wireless and, optionally, wired devices. (Most access points have an integrated
Ethernet controller to connect to an existing wired-Ethernet network.) If your printer connects
through a wireless residential gateway that provides access point functions, choose
infrastructure mode.
Ad-hoc mode
In ad-hoc mode, which is sometimes called peer-to-peer mode, the printer communicates
with your computer directly, rather than through an access point or base station. Each device
on an ad-hoc network must have a wireless network adapter. The adapter enables each
device to communicate with the other devices on the network. Ad-hoc mode is usually
limited to simple, small wireless networks because performance degrades significantly after
connecting too many network devices. This option is most often used if you are connecting
only two network devices that are not sharing an Internet connection.
NOTE For maximum performance, HP recommends connecting the printer to a network that
communicates using the infrastructure mode.
Security
As with other networks, security for wireless networks focuses on access control and
privacy. Traditional wireless network security includes the use of Service Set Identifiers
(SSIDs), open or shared-key authentication, static Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) keys,
and optional Media Access Control (MAC) authentication. This combination offers a basic
level of access control and privacy.
4 Chapter 1 Networking basics ENWW